1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tapping-type massaging mechanism and a massage device containing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A hand-carriable massage device containing such a tapping-type massaging mechanism is proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2521082 in which rotary movement of a drive motor is converted into vibration of a vibrating plate through a crank mechanism so as to cause massaging heads mounted on the vibrating plate to perform a tapping operation.
Such a conventional massage device comprises a housing with a grip, a drive motor housed in the housing, a vibrating plate provided with massaging heads projecting outwardly of the housing, and a crank pin disposed eccentrically with the output shaft of the drive motor.
In the conventional device, the vibrating plate is pivotally attached at a central portion thereof to the housing and connected at an end portion thereof to one end of a crank connecting rod which in turn is connected at the other end thereof to the crank pin, so that rotation of the output shaft will be converted into vibration of the vibrating plate.
Since the vibrating plate is pivoted on the housing, looseness is likely to result at the pivoted point during long-term use, thus raising a problem in durability.
The conventional device is adapted to convert the rotation of the output shaft into rectilinear motion of the crank rod and then into vibration of the vibrating plate. This makes the interior structure of the device relatively complicated. Further, the device requires a stiff crank connecting rod to vibrate the vibrating plate with appropriate intensity, thus resulting in costly manufacture.